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Agronomy
Special Issues
Advances in Biological Control and Ecological Interactions in Agroecosystems
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Advances in Biological Control and Ecological Interactions in Agroecosystems

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Pest and Disease Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2026 | Viewed by 1982

Editor

Dr. José Bruno Malaquias

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Crop Production and Environmental Science Department, Universida de Federal da Paraíba, Areia, Paraíba, Brazil
Interests: entomology; modelling; sustainable pest management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Biological control represents a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture and ecosystem management, offering an environmentally sound and effective strategy for reducing or mitigating the impact of pests, diseases, and weeds through the deliberate use of their natural enemies. As global challenges such as pesticide resistance, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss intensify, the demand for sophisticated, ecology-based solutions has never been greater. This Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the cutting-edge research that is driving advances and innovations in this critical field.

We will delve into the key methodologies that form the backbone of modern biocontrol. This includes classical biological control, which involves the introduction of host-specific natural enemies from a pest's native range to establish long-term population suppression. This Issue will also cover augmentative biocontrol, a method reliant on the mass production and periodic release of beneficial organisms like parasitoids and predators to immediately counteract pest populations in a given area. A significant focus will be on emerging technologies that are revolutionizing application techniques, particularly the use of drones and other autonomous systems for the precise aerial release and spraying of biological control agents, enhancing both efficiency and coverage in complex terrains.

We invite contributions that push the boundaries of our understanding and application of biological control. This Special Issue will feature original research articles, insightful short communications, and comprehensive review papers addressing the biocontrol of arthropod pests, phytopathogens, and invasive weeds across diverse agricultural and natural ecosystems. Our goal is to compile a seminal collection of work that not only highlights current progress but also charts a course for the future of this indispensable discipline.

Dr. José Bruno Malaquias
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • classical biocontrol
  • augmentative biocontrol
  • new biocontrol technologies

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 2473 KB  
Article
The Biocontrol Strain Bacillus subtilis Z-294 Alleviates Pepper Phytophthora capsici Disease Associated with Microbial Community Structure
by Yanan Zhao, Qingchao Zeng, Kunzhi Long, Qian Zhou, Chengrui Huang, Ziyi Liu, Shuai Yuan, Lixia Zhang, Zhenshuo Wang, Yan Li, Wei Shi and Qi Wang
Agronomy 2026, 16(15), 1500; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16151500 - 5 Aug 2026
Viewed by 206
Abstract
The soil-borne oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici poses a serious threat to plant growth and results in substantial economic impact on the pepper industry. Therefore, the isolation of multifunctional biocontrol agents has become a major research priority. In this study, we isolated a biocontrol [...] Read more.
The soil-borne oomycete pathogen Phytophthora capsici poses a serious threat to plant growth and results in substantial economic impact on the pepper industry. Therefore, the isolation of multifunctional biocontrol agents has become a major research priority. In this study, we isolated a biocontrol strain, Bacillus subtilis Z-294, which demonstrated strong inhibition of P. capsici in both plate and greenhouse experiments. This strain Z-294 exhibited broad-spectrum antagonistic activities as well as plant growth-promoting ability. Phylogenetic analysis based on core-genome and average nucleotide identity (ANI) further identified Z-294 as B. subtilis. Importantly, we found that the strain Z-294 alleviates the P. capsici disease through mechanisms associated with changes in the plant microbiome. Plants treated with Z-294 showed higher alpha-diversity. The application of B. subtilis Z-294 showed that the relative abundance of Alphaproteobacteria, Bacilli, Bacteroidia, Agaricomycetes, and Eurotiomycetes increased, while the relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and Sordariomycetes declined. Strain Z-294 holds great promise as a multifunctional biocontrol agent for the sustainable management of diseases and the enhancement of plant health, laying a solid foundation for its future agricultural applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biological Control and Ecological Interactions in Agroecosystems)
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15 pages, 2235 KB  
Article
From Pineapple Residue to Precision Biocontrol: UAV-Assisted Release of the Predator Euborellia annulipes Using Biodegradable Capsules
by Érica Karine de Araújo, Anderson Delfino Mauricio Nunes, Iago Venâncio Isidoro da Silva, Camila Lustosa de Carvalho Marques Silva, Jaime Gomes da Silva Neto, Shirley Santos Monteiro, Isabel Lopes de Medeiros, Roberto Ítalo Lima, Lucas Marques de Freitas Freire, Thiago J. S. Alves, Luciana Barboza Silva, Carlos Henrique de Brito and José Bruno Malaquias
Agronomy 2026, 16(15), 1431; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16151431 - 28 Jul 2026
Viewed by 332
Abstract
The large-scale release of natural enemies remains a major challenge in biological control. This study evaluated the viability of using biodegradable capsules produced from pineapple (Ananas comosus) leaf fibers for the release of the predator Euborellia annulipes. The objectives of [...] Read more.
The large-scale release of natural enemies remains a major challenge in biological control. This study evaluated the viability of using biodegradable capsules produced from pineapple (Ananas comosus) leaf fibers for the release of the predator Euborellia annulipes. The objectives of the current research were: (I) to evaluate the viability of these capsules for predator release; (II) to validate the effectiveness of aerial release by drone (Agras T40); and (III) to evaluate the behavioral repertoire and performance of the predator after exiting the capsule in maize plants infested with susceptible and resistant Spodoptera frugiperda larvae. Predator-induced opening (in the absence of moisture) required a median time of 33 h (77.5% success, mortality ≤ 7.5%), whereas autonomous opening reached 100% in soil at field capacity. Aerial release achieved a 95.04% success rate. Under semi-field conditions, moisture facilitated rapid capsule opening (220 to 269 min); the predator exhibited active search behavior and achieved a higher predation rate on the resistant pest population (40%) than on the susceptible one (25%). The technology is therefore functional, compatible with the predator’s biology, and promising for sustainable integrated pest management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biological Control and Ecological Interactions in Agroecosystems)
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Review

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29 pages, 486 KB  
Review
Multifunctional Potential of Entomopathogenic and Yeast-like Fungi: A Review of Key Tools for Agriculture
by Ricardo Arturo Varela-Pardo, Paola Díaz-Navarrete, Romina Guadalupe-Manfrino, Almendra Jofré and Alejandra Fuentes-Quiroz
Agronomy 2026, 16(11), 1068; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16111068 - 28 May 2026
Viewed by 1027
Abstract
Modern agriculture, heavily influenced by the Green Revolution, has increased productivity through the intensive use of external inputs and agrochemicals, but at the cost of growing environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, pest resistance, and risks to human health. This production model has proven [...] Read more.
Modern agriculture, heavily influenced by the Green Revolution, has increased productivity through the intensive use of external inputs and agrochemicals, but at the cost of growing environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, pest resistance, and risks to human health. This production model has proven to be environmentally unsustainable in the face of current challenges, such as climate change, the increase in the world’s population, and the depletion of natural resources. In this context, agroecology emerges as an integrative scientific approach that promotes the transition from conventional agricultural systems to diversified, resilient, and functionally balanced agroecosystems, based on ecological principles and the progressive reduction of synthetic inputs. This review addresses the role of fungal microorganisms, with an emphasis on entomopathogenic fungi and fungi associated with the plant microbiome, as key tools in the sustainable management of biotic agricultural challenges. This paper addresses the biology and multifunctionality of entomopathogenic fungi, not only as biological control agents but also as crop growth promoters and phytopathogen suppressors. Taken together, the background information presented reinforces the potential of entomopathogenic fungi as strategic components in agroecological transition processes, contributing to productive sustainability, reduced agrochemical use, and the restoration of the ecological functionality of agroecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Biological Control and Ecological Interactions in Agroecosystems)
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